Jen Trott Jen Trott

Force Vs Flow

When we force ourselves to work at the same pace as we regularly do for too long without listening to what our bodies need- we run into exhaustion,  burnout  and missed opportunities...

Some days feel low and some days feel high and its just the way it is.  I had a low day yesterday.  I was feeling tired, low energy, not very motivated.  I just listened to my body and took it easy in the morning. My 3yr old was battling a fever from the night before so we were cuddling and watching Netflix.  I told myself that I would do some work later in the afternoon.  As I put my daughter down for a nap, I was still feeling tired, instead of forcing myself to be productive I just lay with her and napped too. As I woke from the nap I thought to myself, “Ok now I have to do something, work on my business, be productive, etc.”  I went downstairs and cleaned the kitchen, and sat down and attempted to work.  I was not focused and feeling lost, after about 20 minutes I said forget it and gave into the need for my body to rest and be still. 

 

It was not an easy day mentally. Every time I would rest, I felt feelings of inadequacy and guilt, like I should be working harder and doing more. I’ve learned this lesson about 10 times before, and probably will need to learn it 10 more times again.  But when we flow instead of force we will have more peace in our life.  Listening to what our bodies need and being unapologetic about it is where we thrive. This is an act of self love that so many of us ignore.  When we force ourselves to work at the same pace as we regularly do for too long without listening to what our bodies need- we run into exhaustion and burnout and we miss opportunities because we are running around too un-focused and scattered.

 

The good news is that when you listen to what your body needs, more good will come out of it, and the balance will swing the other way.  This morning I woke with even more drive and momentum than I ever could have forced the day before.  It’s the relationship between force and flow – and low and high.  We all have low and high days, but being able to listen to them and honoring yourself through them is where we get another step closer to mastering our best selves and utilizing and respecting our bodies in the best way.

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